New down payment rule now in effect

If you’re in the market for a new home this spring, a recent change to the rules surrounding insured mortgages might affect you.

The new rule came into effect on February 15, 2016 and will affect buyers shopping for homes with price tags over $500,000.

Homebuyers will now have to put at least a 10 percent down payment on the portion of the price of a home over $500,000. For anyone buying a home for $700,000, that means the minimum down payment will rise to $45,000 from $35,000. Any home under $500,000 still requires only a down payment of five percent and Properties valued at $1 million and above still require a minimum down payment of 20 percent.

The new rule will affect first-time buyers in expensive markets more so than homeowners looking to ‘move up’ to a larger home, as they will have built-up equity in their current home, which they can put towards a down payment on a more expensive home.

Over the past seven or eight years, the federal government has made a number of important changes to insured mortgages. According to Finance Minister Bill Morneau, the latest change was made to “contain risks in the housing market, reduce taxpayer exposure and support long-term stability.”